1. When In Doubt, Cheat To Win. Stories about the immortal Khalid El-Amin continue to swirl around the UConn campus to this day. He's the Storrs equivalent of Lindsay Lohan; the lines are blurred so much it s impossible to separate the fact from fiction. This much is true, though: According the New Haven Register, El-Amin devised a plan to ensure a solid result in the Husky Fun Run (a 3-mile jog around the bucolic campus). Midway through the race, the beefy point guard with a penchant for cheese steak sandwiches hitched a ride from a friend, who dropped Khalid off around the corner from the finish line. To sell it completely, El-Amin splashed some water on his face in lieu of sweat and staggered down the street for an eighth-place finish.

2. Famous Uncles: Fester, Jesse, Cliffy?. Jim Calhoun has launched the NBA careers of a galaxy of stars in the L — Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Ben Gordon, etc. — but the first was Clifford Robinson. Uncle Cliffy is currently the longest tenured player in the NBA, beginning his career with the Blazers in 1989 as a second round draft pick. Father of the double-wide headband, Cliff, is also the tallest player (6 10") to reach 1,000 career 3-pointers. Now in his 17th season, Robinson looks to join Robert Parish, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kevin Willis as the fourth member of the 20-season club.

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3. Uncle Hilti. No one questions Jim Calhoun's shrewd eye for talent, but Hilton Armstrong might be Calhoun's crowning achievement. The Peekskill, N.Y. native certainly wasn't a star in high school, receiving just one scholarship offer from perennial A-10 doormat LaSalle. In swept Calhoun, offering the 6'11, 190-pound center a spot on the Connecticut bench. Now, the 235-pound Armstrong is the reigning Big East defensive player of the year, the fourth Husky in a row to capture the award. Coincidentally, Peekskill celebrates Elton Brand Day, celebrating the city's most famous native. UConn beat Duke for its first title in 1999, a game in which Brand scored just 15 points. Mark down April 3 as Hilton Armstrong Day. — Nick Aquilno, Mike Cardillo, Mike Suppe

WASHINGTON

1. Brandon Roy Makes Good Decisions. In 2002, as a senior at Garfield High School in Seattle, Wash., B-Roy decided to enter the NBA Draft. Why? Well, Roy doesn't often talk about it (as if it were, you know, evil), but we can think of a couple million reasons why. The decision to go to college worked out well, as Roy averaged double-digits in scoring by his sophomore year. Then, after his junior campaign — which was hampered by injury — Roy got draft-happy again and toyed with the idea of leaving school early for the Promised Land, known in some social circles as the NBA. But again, B-Roy, the wise fellow he is, stayed in school and earned Pac-10 Player of the Year honors and has led the Huskies to a second-straight Sweet 16 appearance. He s now projected as a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

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2. Zane "Harry" Potter Has A Cult Following. Zane Potter is the last guy the Dawg Pack — UW's student section — wants to see playing in a close game. Coincidentally, Potter, a walk-on senior, is the first guy the fans want to see in a blowout. Potter sits at the end of the bench for every game, because frankly, it's amazing he's even on the team. But the fans love him and will chant his name as the clock winds down on a lopsided contest. He's tall, he's awkward and he sort of resembles that wizard from all those books. Potter, always the realist, has no aspirations to continue playing basketball when he graduates. Instead he plans to be a weatherman. Tough job in the Northwest ... it only rains about 90 percent of the time. Oh, and Potter is from Boring, Ore. Yeah, Boring. Must've been a fun place to grow up.

3. Bobby Jones Hates Tyson Chandler. Well, not quite. As teammates at Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif., they led the Dons to a 31-4 record and their third consecutive division II state championship. But Jones says his best high school memory is winning state without Tyson Chandler. We aren t sure if the two have spoken since. — Zach Landres-Schnur